Brewers Split With Tribe - League Lead Tightens in AL East

Cecil Cooper tries to keep Milwaukee
on top of the AL East.  Coop is batting .344
on the season, 5th overall in the majors.

The Cleveland Indians came into County  Stadium with one thought in mind, gaining ground on the division leading Brewers.  And even though Milwaukee slipped through with a split, the Indians showed they have the fire power to win the East.  Knocking Milwaukee pitching around for 31 hits and 16 runs in 4 games, Cleveland left Milwaukee fans feeling a little jittery if their squad could hold the division lead for the rest of the season.  The Brewers have just won 5 of its last 16 games as 4 other teams are nipping at their heals to see if Bambi's Bombers will continue their downward slide.  Milwaukee currently sits atop of the AL East with a 60-50 record.  NYA (still to play) are just 1.5 games back with Cleveland within earshot at just 3 games back.

ChiSox Shock Royals with Pair of Ws

August 1, 1980 at Chicago – Greg Pryor (2) put together a 6-4-5-3 tag line. It was just one of those games. Everything clicked for the nearly cellar-dwelling White Sox as they pounded the AL West leading Kansas City Royals 18-4. The ChiSox scored in every inning but the last. C Bruce Kimm (1 hit) was the only Sox player not to have multiple safeties in the 27-hit attack. Larry Gura (13-8) was in the showers after 3 innings. Britt Burns (10-6) gathered the spoils on the hill for Chicago. Side Note: Get a copy of the radio broadcast for this one. Harry Carey and Jimmy Piersall were pretty looped up by the end and Hilarious!!

August 2, 1980 at Chicago – Bob Molinaro (6) banged out 4 hits and 2 RBI, including a solo shot in the 3^rd to lead Chicago to a 4-3 win. Steve Trout (9-8) tossed 7 innings for the win. Current White Sox broadcaster, Ed Farmer (16) pitched the final 2 for the save. George Brett’s (17) 7^th inning solo blast measured 459-feet and just missed hitting the rooftop by a foot.

August 3, 1980 at Chicago – George Brett (18) homered again and the winning pitcher was Paul Splittorff (14-4) as Kansas City salvaged a game in the series with an 8-5 win. Clint Hurdle’s 3-run double highlighted a 6-run 6^th for KC. Richard Dotson (9-5) took the loss for Chicago.

ChiSox Stun Brew Crew with Short Sweep

July 29, 1980 at Chicago – Jim Morrison’s 2-run double in the B9 off a tiring Moose Haas (14-7) gave Chicago a 4-3 walk-off win. Mike Squires led the way for the victor’s with 3 hits and two runs scored. Ed Farmer (3-4) got the win in relief.

July 30, 1980 at Chicago – Bob Molinaro (3 hits) gave the White Sox another walk-off win, 6-5, with a base hit scoring Todd Cruz in the B9. Farmer (4-4) grabbed another W. Reggie Cleveland (4-5) went the distance but took the L for the Brew Crew.  

Strong Pitching Highlights Rangers-ChiSox Split

July 25, 1980 at Chicago – Richard Dotson (9-4) tossed a complete game as Chicago won the opener 5-1. Harold Baines and Lamar Johnson each contributed 2-run singles.

July 26, 1980 at Chicago – Ferguson Jenkins (12-5) was looking like the 1970s version of his Hall of Fame self with a complete game, 3-1 win over the White Sox. Fergie fanned 6, walked none and allowed just 5 hits all in a tidy 98 pitches. Buddy Bell and Rusty Staub led the O-fense with 4 and 3 hits, respectively.

Ju1y 27, 1980 (Game #1) at Chicago – Thad Bosley (3) blasted a 2-run home run in the B8 to lift Chicago to a 5-4 winner in the lid-lifter of a twi-night DH on a steamy South Chicago night. Steve Trout (8-8) hurled the full 9 for the victory.

Ju1y 27, 1980 (Game #2) at Chicago – Jon Matlack (9-7) also seemed to turn the clock back with a masterful 5-hit, CG, shutout, 5-0. Rich Wortham (3-7) was also strong in the hill for the ChiSox through 6 innings, but tired in the 7^th and surrendered 4 runs.

BRAVES HANDLE VISITING PHILLIES

The Atlanta Braves capitalized on quality pitching and timely hitting to take three of four from the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. The four game series feature four one run games and two walk off wins by the Braves,

GAME 1   BRAVES 3   PHILLIES 2

                 WP:  NIEKRO (12-7)

                 LP:    REED (2-5)

                 HOME RUNS:  PHI- BOONE (3)  ATL: MURPHY (16)

 

Phil Niekro pitched a complete game allowing 2 runs on 10 hits while earning his 12th win of the season. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th the Braves scored two runs on singles by Biff Pocoroba and Glen Hubbard to steal the win from the Phillies.

 

     

 GAME 2   BRAVES 4   PHILLIES 3  (10)

                  WP:   BRADFORD (2-1)

                  LP:     BRUSSTAR (0-1)

                  HOME RUNS:   PHI- MADDOX (8)   ATL- HORNER (15), MURPHY (17),       

                                          CHAMBLISS (6)

With score knotted 3-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning, Chris Chambliss hit a two out game winning home run giving the Braves their second win of the series.

 With Braves up 2-1 in the Phillies half of the 8th, Mike Schmidt hit a one out triple to right. Gary Maddox quickly followed with a 2 run shot giving the Phillies the 3-2 lead. The Braves countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning on Dale Murphy's 17th home run of the year. The Phillies rally in the top of the 10th fell short when Larry Bowa grounded out leaving Gary Maddox at second after he had doubled. Then, with two out Chris Chambliss became the hero with his 6th home run of the year.

GAME 3   PHILLIES 5   BRAVES 4

                 WP:   SAUCIER (4-2)  S: McGRAW (14)

                 LP:     BOGGS (4-6)

                 HOME RUNS:  SCHMIDT 2 (27)

Trailing early in the game, the Phillies scored 2 runs in the 6th and 3 more in the 8th and outlasted the Braves 5-4. MIke Schmidt led the Phillies attack 

with two home runs and 5 RBI. Kevin Saucier and Tug McGraw held

off the Braves offense to secure the  victory for the Phillies.

GAME 4   BRAVES 6   PHILLIES 5

                 WP:   GARBER (2-2)   S: HRABOSKY (10)

                 LP:     REED (2-6)

                 HOME RUNS:   PHI- SCHMIDT (28)

Bob Horner and Dale Murphy drove in 2 runs apiece and three Atlanta relief pitchers held the Phillies to a run and a hit over the final three innings for the win. In a game featuring 27 hits, only eleven runs were scored. It was the fourth one run game of the series.  

Gary Maddox continued his torrid hitting with three hist including a double and triple. Mike Schmidt added two hits including a home run for the losers.       

Houston Sweeps the Phillies to Boost Win Streak to Seven

The Astros continue to have a hot July, winning seven in a row (four from Atlanta, three from Philly) to take a larger lead in the NL West.  Two of these games  vs. Philly go into extra innings, as the two NL division leading squads face off.

Game One: Houston 8, Philly 2. W: Ryan (9-8); L: Ruthven (6-9)

Houston comes out strong, battering Dick Ruthven for eight runs in six innings. Only three are earned, as Philly commits three key errors. Cesar Cedeno knocks two doubles and has three RBIs and is hitting over .400 for July.

Game Two: Houston 5, Philly 4 (10 innings). D. Smith (6-0); L: Noles (4-2)

Philadelphia hits Houston starter Ken Forsch hard early for four runs in the first two innings, aided by a two-run homer from Keith Moreland in the first. But Forsch allows no more runs in his nine innings of work, and the control artist walks no one (while only striking out two). Meanwhile, Houston recovers to score four runs off Philly starter Bob Walk, as Cedeno hits his sixth homer that drives in the first two and awakens the Houston bats. Cedeno again helps with the winning rally in the bottom of the 10th, singling with two outs and stealing second before Alan Ashby drives him  home with a single for the game winning hit.

Game Three: Houston 1, Phily 0 (10 innings). W: J. Niekro (11-6); L: Noles (4-3)

A great pitching duel between Steve Carlton and Joe Niekro, neither of whom allow a run in nine innings of work. Carlton only gives up four hits, none for extra bases, while Niekro gets out of a few jams and pitches efficiently, inducing a spate of groundballs for outs. Carlton has to depart after nine, while Niekro is still going strong. In the bottom of the 10th, Houston wins in dramatic fashion as Cedeno again comes through, hitting an inside the park home run after driving the ball hard down the third base line.

For the series, Cedeno goes seven for 13 with six RBIs and two home runs.

Bombers Blow Away ChiSox

July 12, 1980 at Chicago – Tommy John (10-8) was on. He bionic lefty needed just 94 pitches to whitewash his former mates on the South Side, yielding just 3 hits in the 3-0 win. Rupert Jones (5) and Reggie Jackson (22) hit HRs for the Bronx Bombers.

July 13, 1980 at Chicago – Rudy May (7-0) remained perfect on the season by tossing 6 innings in an 8-4 Yankees win. Bob Watson and Bucky Dent led the offense with 3 hits and 2 RBIs apiece. Rick Cerone also drove in 3 runs.

July 14, 1980 at Chicago – Goose Gossage (18) surrendered two singles in the B9, but also struck out the side to preserve a 6-5 Yankees win and the sweep. Watson drove in 2 more runs, but Jones (6) provided the biggest noise, highlighting a 3-run 7^th with a 427-foot bomb to straightaway center with a man aboard. Doug Bird (1-0) got the win in relief. Mike Proly (1-5) took the loss.  

REDS TAKE TWO FROM BRAVES

July 11, 1980..... The Cincinnati Reds rolled into Atlanta two games ahead of the Braves in the NL West standings. With great pitching and timely hitting, the Reds increased their lead to four games. 

 

GAME 1   CINCINNATI 3   ATLANTA 2

WP: HUME (3-5)  S: BAIR (3)

LP:   NIEKRO (11-6)

HOME RUNS: CIN- GRIFFEY (7), GERONIMO (2)

Trailing 2-0 in the 8th inning, the Cincinnati Reds went on a home run attack. In the 8th, Ken Griffey tagged Atlanta ace, Phil Nieko for a solo shot. In the 9th, down 2-1 Cesar Geronimo hit a one out two run home run off Niekro to seal the victory. Doug Bair closed out the 9th for the save. Bob Horner and Jeff Burroughs

led the Braves with two hits apiece. But, it was all for not as Niekro made two bad pitches. "They hit the knucle balls that didn't knuckle", stated the dejected Niekro. "When that happens, the ball goes a long way!"
  

GAME 2   CINCINNATI 4   ATLANTA 2
WP:   SOTO (5-1)  S: HUME (19)
LP:     ALEXANDER (5-8)
HOME RUNS: NONE

The Cincinnati Reds jumped on Atlanta starter, Doyle Alexander
for four runs in the first two innings and rode Mario Soto's right arm to victory.Ken Griffey led the victorious Reds with 3 hits and an RBI.

Johnny Bench and Junior Kennedy chipped in 2 hits each.

After scoring single runs in the 1st and 3rd innings, the Braves never threatened as Tom Hume closed the door in the 9th for his 19th save.